Next chapter up.
"John it's the 27th of June 2008...you've been infected with microscopic robots that are affecting your memory" Carson said as gently as possible.
"nanites?" he said thinking that they were doging that word.
"no, these are more like an earlier less effective form. They're increasing in number but they aren't replicating. If we can't find out where they are coming from then your memory loss is going to increase until.."
"Anything youffok can do for me here?" John said cutting Carson off whilst maintaining his composure.
"No but..."
"Then no offence Doc but I want to get out of here, whilst I can" John said knowing that one way or another he was getting out of the infirmary.
"He will not be alone" Teyla said seeing that Carson was not completely convinced that it was a good idea.
"Alright, but I want to be kept informed of his progression" Carson said not wanting to keep him in the infirmary as with the memory loss it might get to the point that he would have to be restrained if he learned that he was not able to leave.
More than anything John wanted to be alone in his quarters, but in hiss current state of mind had to comprimise and ended up in his room with one of his friends watching him like a hawk, each taking shifts.
Except for Rodney, after finding out that something similiar to nanites was behind it he was beginning to think the colonel was right after all maybe this was because of some device inside the city. At least that way there was a chance of finding whatever was causing this and reversing it.
~Teyla~
John was lying on his well made bed staring at the ceiling, giving no insight to how he was coping with all this.
Teyla was concerned by not being able to tell what was going through his mind.
"I'm fine" John said without taking his eyes off the ceiling.
"I know you John, staying cooped up in your room is not like you, even given the circumstance"
"Knowing that there's nothing I can physically do is killing me. I know it's going to get to the point where I don't recognise any of you or even where I am, I won't be me anymore. At least I won't know that..."
"We have not given up on you John, you should not give up on us. Rodney is scouring the city looking for something that could have done this to you. It is more than understandable for you to be scared, but sulking in your room..."
John stood up clearly not wanting to give her the satisfaction of being right.
"Fancy sparring with me, whilst I remember how to fight" he asked, knowing that she would never refuse.
She gave a nod and the two made their way over to the gym.
Even after loosing a year of his memory, he was still holding his own, probably taking out some aggression towards the situation and from the scolding he took from Teyla. He still ended up on his ass but it was not an easy task on her part. She dared not to take it easy on him, he would most certainly take offence.
By the time it came to a switch over they were both out of breath and ready to call it quits.
*Ronan*
Teyla had to go and put Torren down to sleep.
They were relatively silent throughout eating their respective meals, but that was normal for the two of them. They went through so much together that it left hardly anything left unsaid.
Ronan was glad Teyla had snapped John out of it and allowed him to act like himself whilst he could. Ronan was like John in the sense that they never really talked about what was really going on with them when it mattered, but Teyla had this way of cracking them open.
John himself seemed a bit more at ease with things given that he wasn't being treated any differently by the people that mattered to him the most. Making the most of what time he had left before another piece of him had left he decided to behave just like he would normally.
"Since you know I'm losing my mind and all, any chance you'll tell me where you got your gun from?" John said eying up the blaster whilst simultaneously taking his mind off his troubles.
"Nice try Sheppard"
"Damn, was worth a shot. I really really want one of those. Guess I'll have to get McKay to build me a better one..." John pouted.
"You can try"
Teyla joined them at the table.
"Are you ok?" John asked seeing Teyla look exhausted.
"Yes, thank you. Torren was fighting his sleep" Teyla explained.
"he is my son" she said seeing the confusion on his face at the mention of the new name.
She mentally kicked herself, she had forgotten what it was like for Torren not to be around and it had slipped her mind.
"Why do you do those?" Ronan asked watching John doing some sudoku puzzles as Teyla ate.
"It keeps my mind busy" John said keeping his eyes focused on the page.
"I always hated math" Ronan said.
"It's not math...it's more like a puzzle" John said not wanting to be classed as a geek.
"Whatever" Ronan said taunting him.
"I think I'm going to the infirmary and grab some tylenol, I have one hell of a headache"
"It's about time for your check in anyway" Teyla said, finished with her meal.
John went to look at his watch but found his left wrist bare.
"your watch had the date" Ronan explained.
*Infirmary*
Carson had ushered the others out of the infirmary so John could get some sleep. He was to be monitered so that he didn't freak out and do something stupid.
Other than John's deteriorating memory he was in fine physical condition so he was only hooked up to a heart monitor just as a precaution, especially as the machines were working at a microscopic level and could cause a whole heap of trouble"
John had shut the curtains to give himself some privacy.
Carson went to check on the Colonel before he turned in for the night. He drew back the curtain to find the bed empty; the heart monitor unconnected at the wall.
"Rodney are you awake?" Carson said over his radio.
"Yes. What is it? Is Sheppard ok?" Rodney said stopping what he was doing.
"He's left the infirmary. Any chance you can track down his transmitter signal"
"Of course I can. He's on a pier in the section that's just been cleaned up"
~John~
John had managed to move through the city unnoticed. It helped that there was no imminent threat looming over Atlantis so most of the corridors were empty at this time of night.
It was not clear even to John himself if he had left the infirmary on purpose or merely forgotten as at this point he had no recollection of how he had gotten there.
Rodney told Ronan and Teyla of the situation and since they were closer to John's location they went to get him.
Carson remained on standby, in the event John was hurt, he would be ready.
Teyla approached John first, "John. What are you doing here?" Teyla asked, noticing how cold it was out here.
John was lying on the ground looking up at the stars.
"I know I'm losing time, I don't even remember how I got here, I guess I just needed to be alone"
"Time to go back buddy" Ronan said extending his arm.
John grabbed his arm and allowed Ronan to help him to his feet.
Walking back to the infirmary, John began to slow until he came to a complete stop and fell to his knees cradling his head.
"John!" Teyla said, voice filled with concern
"Just a headache" he said, concerned by the fact that it had brought him to his knees.
"Let's get you to the infirmary" Ronan said hauling him to his feet, allowing John to hold on to him until he got his footing.
They began to get back to their usual pace, John hanging back to be next to Teyla.
"Who is this guy?" John whispered.
John is losing his grip on the world...
